Kenny Chesney Didn’t Lose Everything to Hurricane Irma – One Special Item Survived the Storm
When Hurricane Irma tore through the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017, Kenny Chesney's home and bar on the island of St. John were devastated in the storm, but one special item survived the chaos: a black "shotski" that was given to Chesney in 2016. The piece of ski-shaped wood holds shot glasses and has "No Shoes Nation" painted on it.
The country star originally spied the unique item being used by a group of fans who were tailgating before his show in Kansas City.
"I wanted to put it into my bar in the islands and I did a trade with them," Chesney told Good Morning America. The country star traded the fans a signed guitar for the shotski, which he held up on stage later in the show at Arrowhead Stadium. The moment was captured by Chesney's photographer, and it became the cover of his Live In No Shoes Nation album that was released in October of 2017.
"It was one of a few things that made it through Hurricane Irma, believe it or not, and I just felt like it described the bond, how strong our bond was -- between me and the audience," Chesney says. "I decided when it made it through that I was going to bring that shotski back and give it back to the person that gave it to me and that's what we did."
Chesney has tapped into the love of No Shoes Nation to support hurricane recovery in the Virgin Islands, and all proceeds from his newest album, Songs for the Saints, which was inspired by the storm and the people who came together afterward, go to benefit Chesney's Love for Love City Foundation, an organization dedicated to relief efforts.
Kenny Chesney's Best Live Shots
How Well Do You REALLY Know Kenny Chesney?